Workloads in Collegiate Women's Lacrosse Athletes During a Division II National Championship Season.

ABSTRACT: Sutton, PJ, Mumford, PW, and Sunderland, KL. Workloads in collegiate women's lacrosse athletes during a Division II national championship season. J Strength Cond Res 38(9): 1651-1657, 2024-A comprehensive examination of the external and internal workloads in collegiate women's lacrosse athletes has yet to be reported. Thus, the primary purpose of this study was to determine the absolute and relative external and internal training and game workloads of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II women's lacrosse athletes throughout an entire season. Data from 19 Division II women's lacrosse athletes were analyzed, encompassing each training session and game across an entire competitive season (February-May). External workloads were assessed using a wearable global positioning system, whereas internal workloads were determined through heart rate (HR) variables and session rating of perceived exertion. Game days were associated with significantly ( p < 0.05) greater absolute external and internal workloads. However, when comparing workloads relative to session duration, relative workloads between training and games were no longer significant ( p > 0.05) for total distance, high-speed running (≥15 km·h -1 ), HR-derived training impulse, or caloric expenditure. Nonetheless, relative sprint distance (>19 km·h -1 ) was significantly lower during games, whereas high-intensity accelerations (>2 m·s -2 ) and decelerations (<-2 m·s -2 ) were significantly greater during training compared with games ( p < 0.05). Practical applications of these findings suggest that coaches can better prepare athletes for game day conditions by adjusting training plans to replicate the duration and intensity of games. Overall, this comprehensive examination of internal and external workloads provides valuable data for coaches and practitioners to support performance comparisons, rehabilitation protocols, and workload analyses in collegiate women's lacrosse athletes.

Cross-sectional study assessing sleep behavior and musculoskeletal symptoms in elite junior badminton athletes.

Sleep inadequacy has previously been associated with increased risk of injury and reduced performance. It is unclear if sleep disorders are associated with musculoskeletal symptoms, which may be a predictor of serious injury and affect performance. The aim was therefore to assess sleep behavior in elite junior badminton players and its association to musculoskeletal symptoms. In 2018, players at the World Junior Badminton Championship completed the Athlete Sleep Behavior Questionnaire and a modified version of the World Olympic Association Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire. Participants were categorized with poor or moderate/good sleep behavior as the independent variable. Musculoskeletal symptoms were the primary outcome and was categorized using yes/no questions. Relevant musculoskeletal symptoms were defined as pain higher than 30 mm Numeric Rating Scale pain score or more than 30 minutes of joint stiffness a day. Group comparison was performed using chi-square analysis and logistic regression for primary outcome adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, previous injury, training load, and resting days. Of the 153 participants, 28% reported poor sleep scores. There was no difference between poor and moderate/good sleep score concerning demographic variables such as sex, age, ethnicity, previous injury, training load, and resting days. There were 27% with current musculoskeletal symptoms but with no difference in groups between poor and moderate/good sleep score (P = .376). This yielded an adjusted odds ratio of 1.23 (95% confidence intervals 0.52; 2.90). Twenty-eight percent of the participants reported poor sleep behavior. Twenty-seven percent experienced current musculoskeletal symptoms. We found no statistical differences in reported musculoskeletal symptoms when comparing athletes with poor sleep behavior to athletes with moderate/good sleep behavior.

Effect of core strength training on the badminton player's performance: A systematic review & meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Core strength training (CST) has been shown to improve performance in several sports disciplines. CST is recognized as one of the crucial elements that enhance athletic performance, particularly impacting badminton skills. Despite its popularity as a strength training method among badminton players, there is a lack of comprehensive studies examining the effectiveness of CST on the performance of these athletes. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to ascertain CST's effects on badminton players' performance. METHOD: This study followed PRISMA principles and conducted comprehensive searches in well-known academic databases (SCOPUS, Pubmed, CNKI, Web of Science, Core Collection, and EBSCOhost) up to August 2023. The inclusive criteria were established using the PICOS framework. Following their inclusion based on PICOS criteria, the selected studies underwent literature review and meta-analysis. The methodological quality of the assessments was evaluated using Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tools bias risk tools and recommendations for a graded assessment, development, and evaluation. RESULTS: The analysis included participants aged 10-19 years from 13 studies of moderate quality, totaling 208 individuals. The CST intervention s lasted between 4 to 16 weeks, with a frequency of 1 to 4 sessions per week and each session lasting 20 to 120 minutes. Sample sizes across these studies ranged from 8 to 34 participants. According to the meta-analysis, CST significantly influenced badminton performance, particularly in areas of explosive power (ES = 0.03 P = 0.04), front-court skill (ES = 2.53, P = 0.003), and back-court skill (ES = 2.33, P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: CST enhances badminton players' fitness (strength, power, balance, and stability), in situ (front/back-court) skills, and movement position hitting. However, its effects on speed, endurance, agility, flexibility, and coordination are unclear, revealing a research gap. The precise benefits of CST, especially on flexibility and specific hitting skills (smashes, clears, drives, net shots, crosscourt, push, and lift shots), need more investigation. Additionally, research on CST's impact on female athletes is significantly lacking.

Neurocognitive performance of badminton players at different competitive levels in visuospatial attention tasks.

Visuospatial attention (VSA) is a cognitive function that enables athletes, particularly those engaged in open-skill sports, to allocate attentional resources efficiently to the appropriate target and in the appropriate direction. Studies have indicated that expert players exhibit superior cognitive performance to that of novices. However, no study has investigated differences in VSA performance among elite, expert, and intermediate badminton players or the potential neurophysiological mechanisms underlying such differences. Accordingly, the present study explored neuropsychological and neurophysiological parameters during VSA tasks among badminton players of varying competitive levels. The study included 54 participants and divided them into three groups according to their competition records: elite (n = 18), expert (n = 18), and intermediate (n = 18). Their neuropsychological performance and brain event-related potentials (ERPs) during the Posner cueing paradigm were collected. Although the three groups did not differ in their accuracy rates, ERP N2 amplitudes, or N2 or P3 latencies, the elite and expert groups exhibited notably faster reaction times and more pronounced P3 amplitudes than did the intermediate group during the cognitive task. However, we did not observe these between-group differences when we controlled for the covariate training years. Additionally, the elite and expert groups exhibited comparable neurocognitive performance. These findings indicate that badminton players' competitive levels influence their VSA. However, the beneficial effects on neuropsychological and neurophysiological performance could stabilize after a certain level of badminton competence is reached. Year of training could also be a major factor influencing badminton players' neurocognitive performance in VSA tasks.

Cue depth influences badminton players' inhibition of return in 3-D static and dynamic scenarios.

The inhibition of return (IOR) is a phenomenon where response times (RTs) to a target appearing at a previously cued location are slower than those for an uncued location. IOR can improve visual search efficiency. This study aimed to investigate IOR in badminton athletes at different cue depths using a cue-target paradigm in three-dimensional (3-D) static and dynamic scenarios. The study involved 28 badminton athletes (M age = 21.29, SD = 2.39, 14 males) and 25 non-athletes (M age = 21.56, SD = 2.38, 11 males). In the static scenario (Experiment 1), no significant difference between IOR in cueing near and far conditions. IOR was showed both in cueing the near and far condition. Badminton athletes had a speed advantage than non-athletes. In the dynamic scenario (Experiment 2), only badminton athletes showed IOR in cueing the far-to-near condition, but not for the near-to-far. The present study showed that depth information influenced the IOR only in far-to-near condition. Badminton athletes showed more sensitivity to depth information than non-athletes. Additionally, the study expands the object-based IOR in 3-D dynamic scenario.

Headgear mandates in high school girls' lacrosse: investigating differences in impact rates and game play behaviors.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Headgear designed to protect girls' lacrosse athletes is widely available and permitted for voluntary use; however, it remains unknown how policies mandating headgear use may change the sport and, particularly regarding impacts during game-play. Therefore, this study compares the impact rates and game play characteristics of girls' high school lacrosse in Florida which mandates headgear use (HM), with states having no headgear mandate (NHM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Video from 189 randomly-selected games (HM: 64, NHM: 125) were analyzed. Descriptive statistics, Impact Rates (IR), Impact Rate Ratios (IRR), Impact Proportion Ratios (IPR), and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) were calculated. IRRs and IPRs with corresponding CIs that excluded 1.00 were deemed statistically significant. RESULTS: 16,340 impacts (HM:5,821 NHM: 10,519; 86.6 impacts/game, CI: 88.6-93.3) were identified using the Lacrosse Incident Analysis Instrument (LIAI). Most impacts directly struck the body (n = 16,010, 98%). A minority of impacts directly struck a player's head (n = 330, 2%). The rate of head impacts was significantly higher in the HM cohort than NHM cohort (IRR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.7-2.6). Most head impacts (n = 271, 82%) were caused by stick contact in both groups. There was no difference in the proportion of penalties administered for head impacts caused by stick contact between the HM and NHM cohorts (IPR IRRHM/NHM = 0.98; CI = 0.79-1.16). However, there was a significantly greater proportion of head impacts caused by player contact that resulted in a penalty administered in the HM cohort (IPR = 1.44 CI = 1.17-1.54). CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that mandating headgear use was associated with a two-fold greater likelihood of sustaining a head impact during game play compared to NHM states. A majority of head impacts in both HM and NHM states were caused by illegal stick contact that did not result in penalty.

High school girls' lacrosse athletes participating in a state with a headgear mandate was twice as likely to sustain a head impact than those participating in states without headgear mandates.Stick contact remains the most common mechanism of head impacts in girls' lacrosse, regardless of mandating headgear.Regardless of whether headgear was or was not mandated, most head impacts caused by stick contact did not result in a penalty.

Impact of specialized fatigue and backhand smash on the ankle biomechanics of female badminton players.

During fatigued conditions, badminton players may experience adverse effects on their ankle joints during smash landings. In addition, the risk of ankle injury may vary with different landing strategies. This study aimed to investigate the influence of sport-specific fatigue factors and two backhand smash actions on ankle biomechanical indices. Thirteen female badminton players (age: 21.2 ± 1.9 years; height: 167.1 ± 4.1 cm; weight: 57.3 ± 5.1 kg; BMI: 20.54 ± 1.57 kg/m2) participated in this study. An 8-camera Vicon motion capture system and three Kistler force platforms were used to collect kinematic and kinetic data before and after fatigue for backhand rear-court jump smash (BRJS) and backhand lateral jump smash (BLJS). A 2 × 2 repeated measures analysis of variance was employed to analyze the effects of these smash landing actions and fatigue factors on ankle biomechanical parameters. Fatigue significantly affected the ankle-joint plantarflexion and inversion angles at the initial contact (IC) phase (p < 0.05), with both angles increasing substantially post-fatigue. From a kinetic perspective, fatigue considerably influenced the peak plantarflexion and peak inversion moments at the ankle joint, which resulted in a decrease the former and an increase in the latter after fatigue. The two smash landing actions demonstrated different landing strategies, and significant main effects were observed on the ankle plantarflexion angle, inversion angle, peak dorsiflexion/plantarflexion moment, peak inversion/eversion moment, and peak internal rotation moment (p < 0.05). The BLJS landing had a much greater landing inversion angle, peak inversion moment, and peak internal rotation moment compared with BRJS landing. The interaction effects of fatigue and smash actions significantly affected the muscle force of the peroneus longus (PL), with a more pronounced decrease in the force of the PL muscle post-fatigue in the BLJS action(post-hoc < 0.05). This study demonstrated that fatigue and smash actions, specifically BRJS and BLJS, significantly affect ankle biomechanical parameters. After fatigue, both actions showed a notable increase in IC plantarflexion and inversion angles and peak inversion moments, which may elevate the risk of lateral ankle sprains. Compared with BRJS, BLJS poses a higher risk of lateral ankle sprains after fatigue.

Difference in badminton-specific endurance evaluated by a newly developed on-court test between competitive levels: A pilot study of female players.

We developed a test to evaluate badminton-specific endurance. The study included 10 female badminton players. Five participants were ranked in Japan's top 100 national rankings (ranked), whereas the others were unranked (unranked). Participants reacted quickly with badminton-specific steps from the base center to the four sensors at each corner of a singles badminton court. On each set, they reacted eight times to randomized instructions at stage-specific intervals (1.2, 1.0, and 0.8 s for stages 1, 2, and 3, respectively), which were performed six times with a rest of 20 s in each stage (8 movements × 6 sets × 3 stages). On a different day, participants ran on a treadmill as a comparative test. Blood lactate concentration (BLa) was measured on each test. In the badminton-specific test, ranked participants had lower BLa (4.2 ± 1.7 mM vs. 6.3 ± 3.1 mM), with medium or large effect sizes. The average reach time to sensors was shorter in ranked participants (1.56 ± 0.03 s vs. 1.62 ± 0.07 s), with medium or large effect sizes. BLa was similar between groups, with trivial or small effect sizes in the running test. These results suggest that the newly developed test can evaluate badminton-specific endurance.

Musculoskeletal disorders in padel: from biomechanics to sonography.

Padel is a racket sport, combining high-frequency and low-intensity athletic gestures, that has been gaining growing scientific interest in recent years. Musculoskeletal injuries are very common among padel players with an incidence rate of 3 per 1000 h of training and 8 per 1000 matches. To the best of our knowledge, a comprehensive collection describing the most common sonographic findings in padel players with musculoskeletal injuries is lacking in the pertinent literature. In this sense, starting from the biomechanical features of padel-specific gestures we have reported the ultrasonographic patterns of most frequent injuries involving the upper limb, the trunk, and the lower limb. Indeed, comprehensive knowledge of the biomechanical and clinical features of musculoskeletal injuries in padel is paramount to accurately perform a detailed ultrasound examination of the affected anatomical site. So, the present investigation aims to provide a practical guide, simple and ready-to-use in daily practice, to optimize the sonographic assessment of padel players by combining it with the clinical findings and the biomechanical features of athletic gestures.

Return to badminton play following an ACL injury is common, but only a few return to previous performance.

PURPOSE: To report how many badminton players return to badminton after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and to which level. METHODS: Patients in Denmark from 2000 to 2018, registered in the Danish National Patient Register with a diagnosis of ACL rupture and badminton as a primary sport were asked about a return to sport (RTS) and return to performance (RTP) after ACL injury. RTP was defined as the return to full participation in the same sport, same level and same preinjury performance. To investigate the likelihood of RTS and return to preinjury level, a binominal logistic regression was used. RESULTS: Badminton was the primary sport for 900 participants. Only 435 players were injured during badminton, and 626 participants intended to RTP. RTS was achieved by 396 (63%) and 117 (19%) returned to the same performance as their preinjury level. However, 273 (44%) returned to full participation at the same level as the preinjury level but did not perform as well. Males had a significantly higher RTS than females, and RTP was also higher among males [221 (68%) vs. 175 (58%), odds ratio, OR: 1.67, p = 0.003 and 74 (23%) vs. 43 (14%), OR: 1.58, p = 0.05]. CONCLUSION: Return to badminton was achieved by 396 (63%), but only 117 (19%) returned to the same performance as their preinjury level after ACL injury. Females are less successful in RTS and RTP. Future research on improving RTS and the RTP rates in badminton, in general, and specifically for females is needed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II.

Physiological and metabolic responses of Parabadminton athletes to field simulated effort.

BACKGROUND: Due to the increase in the number of Parabadminton (PBd) athletes and the lack of scientific knowledge of the sport, it is important to evaluate performance variables in different game stimuli. Thus, this study sought to examine the physiological and metabolic responses in a simulated effort protocol in PBd athletes. METHODS: Forty-seven volunteers (WH1=7; WH2=9; SL3=8; SL4=9; SU5=6; SH6=8) performed a simulated effort protocol, consisting of 2 blocks of activities (1st change of direction + 1st simulated effort; 2nd change of direction + 2nd simulated effort). Peak and average oxygen consumption (VO2peak and VO2avg), peak, percentage, and average heart rate (HRmax, %HRmax, and HRavg), percentage of carbohydrates and lipids contributions (%CARB and %FAT), and average and total energy expenditure (EEavg and EEtotal) were evaluated. The data was compared between protocol stages, functional classes (FCs), and court size. It was adopted P<0.05. RESULTS: Differences were found between the stages of the protocol in VO2peak (P=0.0008), VO2avg (P=0.0004); HRmax (P<0.0001); %HRmax (P=0.0001), HRavg (P=0.0001), %CARB (P=0.0001), %FAT (P=0.0001), EEavg (P=0.0002), and EEtotal (P=0.008). Among FCs, SL4 athletes were superior to WH1 athletes for VO2peak (P=0.075), VO2avg (P=0.022), EEavg (P=0.011), and EEtotal (P=0.022). Athletes who completed protocol in the full court were greater than half court for VO2peak (P<0.001), VO2avg (P<0.001), %HRmax (P=0.032), HRavg (P=0.018), %CARB (P=0.022), %FAT (P=0.022), and EEavg (P=0.016). CONCLUSIONS: PBd athletes belonging to higher FCs (4, 5, and 6) and who cover greater distances on the court exhibit physiological and metabolic responses under greater influence of the type of disability.

MultiSenseBadminton: Wearable Sensor-Based Biomechanical Dataset for Evaluation of Badminton Performance.

The sports industry is witnessing an increasing trend of utilizing multiple synchronized sensors for player data collection, enabling personalized training systems with multi-perspective real-time feedback. Badminton could benefit from these various sensors, but there is a scarcity of comprehensive badminton action datasets for analysis and training feedback. Addressing this gap, this paper introduces a multi-sensor badminton dataset for forehand clear and backhand drive strokes, based on interviews with coaches for optimal usability. The dataset covers various skill levels, including beginners, intermediates, and experts, providing resources for understanding biomechanics across skill levels. It encompasses 7,763 badminton swing data from 25 players, featuring sensor data on eye tracking, body tracking, muscle signals, and foot pressure. The dataset also includes video recordings, detailed annotations on stroke type, skill level, sound, ball landing, and hitting location, as well as survey and interview data. We validated our dataset by applying a proof-of-concept machine learning model to all annotation data, demonstrating its comprehensive applicability in advanced badminton training and research.

Quantifying Hitting Load in Racket Sports: A Scoping Review of Key Technologies.

PURPOSE: This scoping review aims to identify the primary racket and arm-mounted technologies based on inertial measurement units that enable the quantification of hitting load in racket sports. METHODS: A comprehensive search of several databases (PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore) and Google search engines was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) extension for scoping reviews guidelines. Included records primarily focused on monitoring hitting load in racket sports using commercialized racket or arm-mounted inertial sensors through noncompetitive and competitive racket-sports players. RESULTS: A total of 484 records were identified, and 19 finally met the inclusion criteria. The largest number of systems found were compatible with tennis (n = 11), followed by badminton (n = 4), table tennis (n = 2), padel (n = 1), and squash (n = 1). Four sensor locations were identified: grip-attached (n = 8), grip-embedded (n = 6), wrist (n = 3), and dampener sensors (n = 2). Among the tennis sensors, only 4 out of the 11 (36.4%) demonstrated excellent reliability (>.85) in monitoring the number of shots hit either during analytic drills or during simulated matches. None of the other racket-sports sensors have undergone successful, reliable validation for hitting-volume quantification. CONCLUSIONS: Despite recent advancements in this field, the quantification of hitting volume in racket sports remains a challenge, with only a limited number of tennis devices demonstrating reliable results. Thus, further progress in technology and research is essential to develop comprehensive solutions that adequately address these specific requirements.

An analysis of the effect of motor experience on muscle synergy in the badminton jump smash.

The jump smash is badminton's most aggressive technical manoeuvre, which is often the key to winning a match. This paper aims to explore the neuromuscular control strategies of advanced and beginner players when jumping smash in different ways. Collecting sEMG and kinematic data from 18 subjects with different motor experiences when jumping smash. Nonnegative Matrix Factorization and K-Means clustering were used to extract muscle synergies and exclude irrelevant combined synergies. Uncontrolled manifold analysis was then used to explore the association between synergies and shoulder stability. In addition, motor output at the spinal cord level was assessed by mapping sEMG to each spinal cord segment. The study found that advanced subjects could respond to different jump smash styles by adjusting the coordinated activation strategies of the upper-limb and postural muscles. Long-term training can induce a rapid decrease in the degree of co-variation of the synergies before contact with a shuttlecock to better cope with an upcoming collision. It is recommended that beginners should focus more on training the coordination of upper-limb muscles and postural muscles.

Badminton as a dynamic system - A new method for analyzing badminton matches based on perturbations.

This study presents a method for analysing badminton matches based on the concept of perturbations. We transfer this principle to a badminton rally and describe the decisive shot, which turns a balanced situation into an advantage for one team or one player. Our paper proposes an observational system, which models the decisive shots by using four consecutive actions: impulse (the perturbation), follow-up, survival, and convert. To test the objectivity of the operationalization, independent raters analysed six matches in the singles disciplines of the 2022 World Championships. To evaluate rater agreement, Jaccard coefficient and Cohen's kappa were used. Results show an agreement in identifying impulses of J(R1, R2) = .80, while the agreement in classifying the impulse type (positive/negative) reached κ = .70. A comparison of this perturbation-based analysis and last shot analyses shows significantly different results. Direct errors usually occur in the midcourt (56.4%), whereas most negative perturbations originate from the backcourt (40.0%). In contrast to direct winners, mostly originating from a smash (45.5%), most positive perturbations are created by net shots (30.1%). We argue that our method can be complementary to common last shot analyses and provides a possibility to describe players' strengths and weaknesses in more detail.

Mechanisms of Action Anticipation in Table Tennis Players: A Multivoxel Pattern Analysis Study.

An exceptional ability to accurately anticipate an opponent's action is paramount for competitive athletes and highlights their experiential mastery. Despite conventional associations of action observation with specific brain regions, neuroimaging discrepancies persist. To explore the brain regions and neural mechanisms undergirding action anticipation, we compared distinct brain activation patterns involved in table tennis serve anticipation of expert table tennis athletes vs. non-experts by using both univariate analysis and multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA). We collected functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 29 table tennis experts and 34 non-experts as they pressed a button to predict the trajectory of a ball in a table tennis serve video truncated at the moment of racket-ball contact vs. pressing any button while viewing a static image of the first video frame. MVPA was applied to assess whether it could accurately differentiate experts from non-experts. MVPA results indicated moderate accuracy (90.48%) for differentiating experts from non-experts. Brain regions contributing most to the differentiation included the left cerebellum, the vermis, the right middle temporal pole, the inferior parietal cortex, the bilateral paracentral lobule, and the left supplementary motor area. The findings suggest that brain regions associated with cognitive conflict monitoring and motor cognition contribute to the action anticipation ability of expert table tennis players.

Does dynamic balance affect cube mental rotation task in badminton vs. volleyball female players?

BACKGROUND: Changing from a static to a dynamic balance condition could affect the performance of a cognitive task such as mental rotation. Thus, the main goal of this study is to investigate aspects of visual-spatial cognition between two non-contact sports (i.e., badminton and volleyball) in different upright conditions (i.e., standing position, frontal balance, and sagittal balance). METHODS: Thirty-five volunteer female sports and physical education students, fourteen specialists in badminton and twenty-one specialists in volleyball agreed to participate in this study. Each of the assessments was a 3D cube mental rotation task with and/or without balance exercises (i.e., frontal and/or sagittal balance) on a wobble board. Five stimuli were used in the mental rotation task (i.e., 45°, 135°, 180°, 225° and 315° for objected-based cube condition with egocentric transformation) which included pairs of standard and comparison images. RESULTS: The findings indicate that there was a notable decrease (p < 0.001; d = 1.745) in response time in both dynamic balance conditions (i.e., frontal and sagittal balance) compared to standing position condition. In addition, results revealed significant interaction between balance conditions (i.e., frontal and/or sagittal balance) and groups (i.e., badminton and volleyball) in the response time at 225° angle and in the error percentage. CONCLUSIONS: In sum, dynamic balance is also an activity that involves mental manipulation of objects in 3D space, which can enhance badminton and volleyball female players' ability to rotate 3D cube stimuli.

Influence of Torsional Stiffness in Badminton Footwear on Lower Limb Biomechanics.

Torsional stiffness of athletic footwear plays a crucial role in preventing injury and improving sports performance. Yet, there is a lack of research focused on the biomechanical effect of torsional stiffness in badminton shoes. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the influence of three different levels of torsional stiffness in badminton shoes on biomechanical characteristics, sports performance, and injury risk in badminton players. Fifteen male players, aged 22.8 ± 1.96 years, participated in the study, performing badminton-specific tasks, including forehand clear stroke [left foot (FCL) and right foot (FCR)], 45-degree sidestep cutting (45C), and consecutive vertical jumps (CVJ). The tasks were conducted wearing badminton shoes of torsional stiffness measured with Shore D hardness 50, 60, and 70 (referred to as 50D, 60D, and 70D, respectively). The primary biomechanical parameters included ankle, knee, and MTP joint kinematics, ankle and knee joint moments, peak ground reaction forces, joint range of motion (ROM), and stance time. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was employed for normally distributed data and Friedman tests for non-normally distributed data. The 70D shoe exhibited the highest ankle dorsiflexion and lowest ankle inversion peak angles during 45C task. The 60D shoe showed significantly lower knee abduction angle and coronal motions compared to the 50D and 70D shoes. Increased torsional stiffness reduced stance time in the FCR task. No significant differences were observed in anterior-posterior and medial-lateral ground reaction forces (GRF). However, the 70D shoe demonstrated higher vertical GRF than the 50D shoe while performing the FCR task, particularly during 70% - 75% of stance. Findings from this study revealed the significant role of torsional stiffness in reducing injury risk and optimizing performance during badminton tasks, indicating that shoes with an intermediate level of stiffness (60D) could provide a beneficial balance between flexibility and stability. These findings may provide practical references in guiding future badminton shoe research and development. Further research is necessary to explore the long-term effects of altering stiffness, considering factors such as athletic levels and foot morphology, to understand of the influence of torsional stiffness on motion biomechanics and injury prevalence in badminton-specific tasks.

Catastrophic injuries and exertional medical events in lacrosse among youth, high school and collegiate athletes: longitudinal surveillance over four decades (1982-2020).

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence rates (IRs) of catastrophic injuries and exertional medical events in lacrosse athletes. METHODS: Catastrophic injuries and exertional medical events in lacrosse in the US among youth or amateur, high school and college athletes were analysed from the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research (NCCSIR) database from 1982/83 to 2019/20. Frequencies, IRs per 100,000 athlete-seasons (AS) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% CIs were calculated. Participation data were gathered from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and USA Lacrosse. RESULTS: Sixty-nine catastrophic events (16 youth or amateur, 36 high school and 17 college; 84% male) occurred in US lacrosse from 7/1/1982 to 6/30/2020. Thirty-six percent of all incidents were fatal. The overall IR was 0.5 per 100,000 AS (95% CI: 0.4-0.7). There were 15 cases of non-traumatic sudden cardiac arrests (SCAs) and 15 incidents of commotio cordis. Fatality rates from SCA and commotio cordis decreased 95% (IRR = 0.05; 95% CI: 0, 0.2) from 1982/83-2006/07 to 2007/08-2019/20. Incidence rates were higher for collegiate versus high school 1982/83-2019/20 (IRR = 3.2; 95% CI: 1.8, 5.7) and collegiate versus youth 2005/06-2019/20 (IRR = 8.0; 95% CI: 3.0, 21.4) level. Contact with a stick or ball (41%) and contact with another player (20%) were the primary mechanisms of injury. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of catastrophic events during lacrosse was higher among collegiate than high school or youth athletes. SCA from an underlying cardiac condition or from commotio cordis was the most common catastrophic event. Fatality rates from catastrophic injuries have declined significantly over the study period, perhaps driven by protective measures adopted by lacrosse governing bodies.

Key messagesCollegiate athletes had a higher incidence rate of catastrophic events during lacrosse, while high school athletes had the greatest overall number of events.Cardiac-related events were the most common catastrophic event.Fatality rates for non-traumatic sudden cardiac arrest and commotio cordis have decreased 95% over the past several decades, perhaps related to protective measures and increased access to automated external defibrillators promoted by lacrosse governing bodies.

An empirical study of indoor air quality in badminton stadiums in hot summer and cold winter regions of China during spring and fall seasons.

The indoor air quality has a direct impact on human health. In order to obtain the current status of indoor air quality in typical sports buildings in hot summer and cold winter climate zones in China, indoor badminton courts in 10 cities in Hubei Province in this climate zone were selected as research objects for field testing of indoor environmental parameters in spring and autumn, and predict air quality parameters for non-testing times. All the tested stadiums are naturally ventilated in non-event conditions, and the average daily indoor CO2 concentration was 526.78 ppm in spring and 527.63 ppm in autumn, and the average daily PM2.5 concentration was 0.035 mg/m3 in spring and 0.024 mg/m3 in autumn, all of which met the requirements of GB/T 18883-2022, the average concentration of CO2 ≤ 1000 ppm and PM2.5 ≤ 0.05 mg/m3. The indoor CO2 concentration and PM2.5 concentration of the tested badminton halls under natural ventilation gradually increased with the accumulation of exercise time, making the indoor air quality of the badminton halls decrease, which would negatively affect the health of the people exercising in this environment.